Middle East Overview

The number of international terrorist incidents in the Middle East
increased from 65 in 1990 to 79 in 1991, largely because of a spate of
attacks in Lebanon during the Persian Gulf war.

International terrorism by Palestinians again decreased from 41 in 1990 to
19 last year. Although many of the Palestinian groups threatened to
conduct terrorist operations against the international coalition opposing
Baghdad's invasion of Kuwait, few such attacks actually occurred. Most
incidents recorded during the Persian Gulf war were bombing attacks outside
the Middle East region, and most of these were against commercial property
belonging to coalition countries' firms. Few of these attacks were carried
out against civilians.

There are several reasons why Palestinian terrorists did not carry out
attacks in support of Saddam Hussein:

-- Military operations disrupted the command and control links between
Baghdad and the terrorist networks it had established.

-- Enhanced security measures were widely implemented in most regions of the
world.

Several Palestinian groups that threatened terrorism during the Gulf war
were weakened during 1991. Abu Abbas, the leader of the Palestine
Liberation Front (PLF), left the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO)
Executive Committee in September, although the PLF itself is still
represented on the Committee. The PLF also failed to follow through on the
terrorist threats it issued from Baghdad during the war. The Hawari
organization, which was based in Baghdad, was seriously damaged by the
death of its leader, Colonel Hawari, in a car accident on the road between
Baghdad and the Jordanian border immediately after the war.

During 1991, nine long-held foreign hostage's -- six Americans and three
British citizens -- and the remains of Col. William R. Higgins and William
F. Buckley were released by lranian-supported Hizballah members in Lebanon.
At year's end, U.N. special negotiator Giandomenico Picco continued his
efforts to secure the release of two German aid workers held in Lebanon and
to negotiate an exchange of Lebanese and Palestinian prisoners for missing
Israeli servicemen in Lebanon.

Despite the decline in international incidents undertaken by Middle Eastern
groups, domestic terrorism continued in Israel, the occupied territories,
and Lebanon. The attacks appeared to be carried out by rejectionist groups
and coincided with positive developments in the Middle East peace process.
Internecine conflicts within and between Palestinian and Lebanese terrorist
groups once again added to the violence.

Iran's success in building closer ties to Palestinian terrorist groups (see
a detailed discussion in the section on state-sponsored terrorism) poses a
potential threat to international peace and security. Iran hosted a
conference in October on the Palestinian problem, which generated a large
amount of rhetorical protest against the Middle East peace talks.

A rocket attack was launched against the American Embassy in Beirut during
the Madrid peace conference, and a bomb attack damaged several buildings at
the American University of Beirut shortly thereafter.

Sudan

In the past year Sudan has enhanced its relations with international
terrorist groups, including the Abu Nidal organization (ANO). Sudan has
maintained ties to state sponsors of terrorism such as Libya and Iraq and
has improved its relations with Iran. The National Islamic Front (NIF),
under the leadership of Hassan al-Turabi, has intensified its domination of
the government of Sudanese President General Bashir and has been the main
advocate of closer relations with radical groups and their sponsors. The
NIF has organized its own militia, the People's Defense Force, modeled
after the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps. Sudan was one of the few
states to support Iraq in the Persian Gulf war. Ties to Libya and Iran
also were maintained, as evidenced by the visit to Sudan last June by
Colonel Qadhafi and the visit last December by Iranian President Rafsanjani
to Khartoum.

Terrorist and militant Moslem groups also have increased their presence in
Sudan. The government reportedly has allowed terrorist groups to train on
its territory and has offered Sudan as a sanctuary to terrorist
organizations. In October, the Government of Tunisia recalled its
Ambassador from Khartoum to protest Sudanese renewal of a diplomatic
passport for the leader of Tunisia's An Nahda party, a group that Tunisia
considers a terrorist organization. Sudan also played host to members of
radical groups, such as the Islamic Resistance Movement (HAMAS), and
allowed them to hold public meetings in Sudan.

Algeria

Algeria has condemned international terrorism but considers some acts of
violence by movements of national liberation to be legitimate. As an
expression of this position, Algeria has refused to sign numerous
international agreements intended to counter acts of terrorism. The
Algerian Government permits a number of radical groups, including some that
have been involved in terrorism, to maintain a presence in Algeria. This
has occasionally led to security incidents (for example, the April 1990
attack by the Abu Nidal organization (ANO) on an ANO dissident and a bomb
explosion at a PLO office in Algiers in the spring of 1991). Palestine
Liberation Front (PLF) leader Abu Abbas and a few other Palestinians
affiliated with terrorist organizations attended the September 1991 meeting
of the Palestine National Council in Algiers, but the Algerian Government
made it clear that it would not tolerate terrorist activities on its
territory.

In March a lone armed hijacker took over an Air Algerie flight on the ground
in Algiers, holding its 44 passengers and six crew members hostage. The
hostages were released unharmed a few hours later. In October an Algerian
court handed down 10-year prison sentences to two men responsible for a
similar hijacking in late December 1990.

Algeria was thrown into an internal political crisis in late December 1991
when Muslim fundamentalists won an overwhelming victory in the first round
of National Assembly elections and were poised to win the second round and
gain a majority in the Assembly. Since President Bendjedid's resignation,
the suspension of the second round of elections, and the crackdown on the
Islamic Salvation Front (FIS) by the military, there has been a serious
upsurge in violent clashes between Islamist elements and the security
forces.

Egypt

There were no terrorist attacks against Americans or U.S. interests in Egypt
in 1991, despite concerns of such attacks in support of Operation Desert
Shield/Desert Storm.

U.S. and Egyptian security services cooperated closely on security and
antiterrorism matters. During the Persian Gulf war, Egyptian security
forces reported several apparent terrorist threats against U.S. interests
in Egypt. Egyptian security agents arrested a number of individuals
suspected of planning terrorist acts against Egyptian or Western targets.

In early September, Egyptian authorities arrested armed agents of the
Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) who had entered Egypt with the intention of
committing terrorist acts. In November, Israeli security forces
intercepted four armed Palestinians who had entered the Israeli Negev from
the Sinai. It is quite likely that these terrorists entered Egypt from a
third country with the intention of infiltrating into Israel for future
terrorist attacks. There are unconfirmed reports that two bodies found on
a Gaza beach in December were terrorists who drowned while attempting an
attack that may have been launched from Egyptian territory.

The radical Islamic group Al-Gama'a Al-Islamiyaa is believed responsible for
a number of armed robberies of local Egyptian merchants in 1991 but has
conducted no major terrorist incident since the October 1990 assassination
of assembly speaker al-Mahgoub. This group seeks the violent overthrow of
the Government of Egypt but is not known to have attacked U.S. or other
Western targets. More important, it receives support from Iran and has
established networks with several counterparts in the Arab world and
elsewhere.

Israel and the Occupied Territories
There were numerous attacks and attempted attacks in Israel and the occupied
territories in connection with the Palestinian intifadah and the
Arab-Israeli conflict, several of which coincided with key developments in
the Middle East peace process.

Many small bombs exploded or were discovered and defused by Israeli
authorities in the course of the year. There were several firebomb or
arson attacks on coalition interests in the occupied territories early in
the year, probably in reaction to the Persian Gulf war. On 12 April, a
bomb exploded in East Jerusalem at the Damascus Gate just before a visit to
Israel by Secretary of State Baker. In a similar incident on 16 September,
two people were injured when a bomb exploded at an outdoor market in
Beersheba.

Stabbing incidents in Israel and on the West Bank occurred throughout 1991.
While some of the attacks were probably carried out by organized groups,
others appeared to be the work of lone individuals. On 18 May, an apparent
Islamic zealot stabbed and wounded three Israelis in West Jerusalem; a
faction of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) claimed responsibility.
Several European tourists were also the victims of stabbings.

On 7 July, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) claimed
responsibility for shooting and seriously wounding an Israeli who was
transporting Palestinian workers to Israel from the Gaza Strip. The
Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP) claimed
responsibility for a similar attack the following day, also in Gaza.

On 28 October, just days before the opening of the Madrid peace conference,
gunmen opened fire on a busload of Israeli settlers on the West Bank north
of Jerusalem. Two Israelis were killed and at least six wounded, including
five children. Both the PFLP and a PIJ faction claimed responsibility.

On numerous occasions in 1991, Jewish settlers in the occupied territories
attacked Palestinian civilians and property, often in response to
Palestinian attacks. In late October, the son of slain Jewish extremist
leader Rabbi Meir Kahane publicly threatened to "blow up" the Madrid peace
conference. He was later arrested in Madrid along with two associates
while distributing leaflets critical of Israel's participation in the
conference. Slogans from Kahane's group Kach were found painted on the
walls of the American Cultural Center in Jerusalem after a fire-bombing
there on 28 October.

Israeli security forces intercepted over 20 attempted guerrilla
infiltrations into Israel from Lebanon, Jordan, and Egypt in 1991. Several
of the attempted cross-border attacks were conducted by Lebanese groups and
Palestinian fighters from factions both within and outside the PLO. Others
appear to be the work of disgruntled individuals acting alone or with a few
colleagues but with no discernible ties to any known terrorist group. In
most cases, the infiltrators failed to penetrate the Israeli border, and
the precise targets of the attacks were not clear.

In late January, Palestinians fired several rockets over a three-day period
at Israel from Lebanon. The rockets landed in the Israeli-controlled south
Lebanon security zone. PLO forces are suspected of perpetrating these
rocket attacks in order to show support for Iraq.

On 13 September, a Swedish officer with the UN peacekeeping force (UNIFIL)
in south Lebanon was killed and five other officers wounded in a gun battle
between Israeli troops and their Lebanese allies and a group of Palestinian
guerrillas attempting to infiltrate Israel by sea. The Palestinians landed
in small boats in south Lebanon and took the UNIFIL officers hostage after
failing to reach Israel, where they apparently intended to conduct a
terrorist attack. One of the captured guerrillas admitted he was a member
of Arafat's Fatah faction of the PLO.

On 11 November, four heavily armed Palestinians were killed by Israeli
forces in the Negev desert as they attempted to infiltrate Israel from
Egypt.

The Lebanese Shia group Hizballah conducted several dozen attacks on Israeli
soldiers in Israel's self-proclaimed security zone in south Lebanon, which
continued to be the site of numerous incidents.

Israel takes a strong stand against terrorism and terrorist state sponsors.
The Israeli Government has made fighting terrorism a high priority and
devotes a considerable proportion of its internal and external security
resources to this effort. Israeli police and military forces are involved
in planning and training to meet the terrorist threat.

Israeli counterterrorist efforts continue to target countries aiding,
harboring, or failing to inhibit terrorists. Israeli military forces have
launched preemptive and retaliatory airstrikes against suspected terrorist
installations in neighboring Lebanon and have occasionally detained
Lebanese nationals in an attempt to thwart attacks. At year's end, Israel
continued to hold outside the legal process Sheikh Abdul Karim Obeid, a
Hizballah cleric from south Lebanon whom Israeli forces abducted in July
1989, apparently in an effort to exchange him for Israeli military
personnel held by Lebanese and other groups.

Israel uses curfews and other restrictive measures to control violence in
the occupied territories. The West Bank and Gaza Strip were sealed off
from Israel on several occasions in 1991 when the threat was considered to
be especially high, most notably during the Gulf war and during sessions of
the Middle East peace talks. Israel has also responded to violent
incidents by deporting to neighboring countries Palestinian activists who
are deemed to be security risks or accused of anti-Israeli offenses. The
United States strongly opposes deportations as a violation of the Fourth
Geneva Convention.

Israeli courts generally hand down strict prison sentences to those
convicted of terrorist attacks. In May, a former member of the 15 May
Organization and the Hawari Special Operations Group was sentenced to 25
years in prison for a failed attempt to blow up an El Al airliner in 1984.
Mahmud Atta, a member of the Abu Nidal organization who was extradited to
Israel from the United States in 1990, was sentenced to life in prison in
October for a machinegun attack on an Israeli bus on the West Bank in 1986.
Later that month, Sheikh Ahmad Yassin, founder of the Palestinian
fundamentalist group Hamas, received a life sentence plus 15 years after
admitting to Israeli charges, including plotting the murder of two off-duty
Israeli soldiers.

Militant Jewish extremist Rabbi Moshe Levinger was sentenced in January to
four months in prison for assaulting a Palestinian family in Hebron. The
sentence was later reduced, for good behavior. In June an Israeli court
approved the extradition to the United States of an American-born Israeli
couple suspected of sending a letter bomb that killed an American woman in
California in 1980. One of the two is also a suspect in the murder of an
Arab-American activist in 1985. The extradition case was appealed to the
Israeli Supreme Court in December.

The Palestinian Uprising
Violence associated with the Palestinian intifadah, which began in the
Israeli-occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip in December 1987, continued in
1991, though at a significantly reduced level. Tight Israeli security
restrictions imposed during the Persian Gulf war, and the adverse economic
consequences for the local population caused by prolonged strikes, probably
account for the change. In the latter part of the year, some Palestinian
leaders appeared to be trying to shift the uprising toward less violent
forms of protest in response to the Middle East peace negotiations.

Nonetheless, clashes between Palestinians and Israeli troops and settlers
resulted in the deaths of at least 101 Palestinians and 12 Israelis in
1991. Although there were far fewer mass demonstrations by Palestinian
protestors, there were many vicious personal attacks by individuals or
small groups, often involving the use of firearms, over the course of the
year. Several of the attacks appeared to involve Islamic extremist groups
opposed to any compromise with Israel. Furthermore, at least 140
Palestinians were killed by other Palestinians in 1991, once again
outstripping the number of Palestinians killed in clashes with Israeli
forces. Most of the victims of intra-Palestinian violence were suspected
of being informers for the Israeli authorities.

The intifadah as a whole is primarily a civil insurrection that contains
elements of terrorism in specific instances. Acts of intifadah violence
frequently go unclaimed and often are not clearly tied to specific goals
and objectives or organized terrorist groups. In the absence of an
identifiable perpetrator or motive, it is difficult to apply our working
definition of terrorism to most intifadah incidents.

Jordan
Despite additional security measures provided by Jordanian authorities,
tensions stemming from the Persian Gulf war led to a spate of attacks in
early 1991 against business and diplomatic targets associated with
countries taking part in the coalition against Iraq. Most such incidents
were minor attacks apparently intended to cause property damage rather than
casualties.

At least some of the attacks were apparently the work of a group of Islamic
extremists known as Muhammad's Army. In July, Jordanian authorities
arrested dozens of persons suspected of belonging to the group, 18 of whom
went on trial in October. In open court, the defendants admitted to
conducting a series of attacks on Jordanian and Western interests,
including two car bombings that seriously wounded the daughter of a local
cleric in January and a Jordanian intelligence officer in July. They also
confessed to planning attacks against U.S. and other Western diplomatic
facilities. Eight defendants, including two in absentia, were found guilty
and sentenced to death. In December King Hussein commuted the death
sentences for six defendants to varying prison terms; he let stay the death
sentences on the two tried in absentia.

A variety of Palestinian factions maintain a presence in Jordan, including
elements of the PLO and more radical Islamic fundamentalist groups like
Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ). Prominent members of the
PIJ in Jordan publicly threatened attacks on U.S. interests during the Gulf
war.

There were a number of armed infiltration attempts across the Jordanian
boundary with Israel in 1991. Some, such as an 8 February attack claimed
by Muhammad's Army, appeared to have been carried out by an organized
group; others were most likely conducted by zealous individuals with no
connection to any known political organization. One Israeli farmer was
killed and three others wounded in a cross-border attack in April. A
decline in cross-border raids in the latter half of the year may have been
because of Jordan's efforts to enforce tighter border security.

The Jordanian Government considers itself to have been a victim of terrorism
over the years and has cooperated in international terrorism efforts. In
late 1991 Jordan sought the extradition from Sweden of a Palestinian
accused of the 1971 murder of Jordanian Prime Minister Wafsi Tell.
Jordanian security services are alert to attempted terrorist acts and have
detained members of groups, such as the PIJ, who have been accused of
inciting violence.

Kuwait
Kuwait has historically been a target of international terrorism and has had
to cope with hijackings, bombings, and assassination attempts. It has been
aggressive in bringing terrorists to justice. Before the 2 August 1990
Iraqi invasion, and consistent with its no concessions policy on terrorism,
the Amir resisted pressure to pardon members of the pro-Iranian
fundamentalist Dawa terrorist group imprisoned in Kuwait for a series of
1983 bombing attacks against U.S., French, and Kuwaiti interests. The Dawa
terrorists either escaped or were freed during the Iraqi occupation.

During 1991 there were no significant acts of domestic terrorism in Kuwait.
The government closed down offices of the PLO and all other Palestinian
groups, including some associated with terrorism. The Palestinian
population in Kuwait also shrunk during the Persian Gulf war and its
aftermath from approximately 350,000 to about 40,000, thus severely
reducing the ability of these groups to operate in Kuwait.

Lebanon
The number of international terrorist incidents in Lebanon in 1991 rose to a
high of 32, up from 10 in 1990 and 16 in 1989. Much of the increase
reflected a low-level bombing campaign against foreign targets, largely
French-owned banks, during the Persian Gulf war. These incidents caused
only minor damage and few casualties. There also were a number of domestic
terrorist incidents related to struggles between various Lebanese factions.

During much of 1991, the central government extended its control,
particularly over a significant portion of the area from Beirut north to
Tripoli. It disarmed several militias and began to expand its control into
south Lebanon. The Lebanese Government, however, has been unable to fully
implement the Taif Accords, which provide for the extension of its
authority nationwide. It has yet to move into the Bekaa Valley or east
Lebanon or to expand into portions of the south dominated by Hizballah or
the South Lebanon Army (SLA).

Syria, however, continues to maintain a sizable military presence in
Lebanon, exercising control over portions of the north and the east.
Israel and its client Lebanese militia, the SLA, control a region along the
Israeli border.

Terrorism continues to plague Lebanon, and the year saw many violent
attacks. Eight people died in a 20 March car bombing believed to have been
an attempt on the life of the Defense Minister, the first such incident
since the central government's assumption of authority in Beirut. The year
closed with a 30 December Beirut car-bombing incident in which at least 30
were reported killed and 120 injured. The year also saw a rocket attack on
29 October on the U.S. Embassy and the 8 November bombing that destroyed
buildings of the American University of Beirut. Both attacks are believed
to have been protests against the opening of the Middle East peace talks.
A French aid worker was abducted on 8 August to protest the release of
British hostage John McCarthy. The Frenchman was freed three days later
after Syrian troops and Lebanese armed forces exerted pressure on Hizballah
strongholds in Beirut.

Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Libya continued to provide varying degrees of
financial, military, and logistic support to radical groups engaging in
terrorism in Lebanon. Several international groups including radical
Palestinians, such as the Popular Front for the Liberation of
Palestine-General Command (PFLP-GC), the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ),
the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), the Democratic
Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP), the Abu Nidal organization
(ANO), and Abu Musa, as well as non-Palestinian groups, such as the
Japanese Red Army (JRA), the Kurdish Workers' Party (PKK), Turkey's
Revolutionary Left (Dev Sol), and the Armenian Secret Army for the
Liberation of Armenia (ASALA), maintain training facilities in Lebanon,
chiefly in the Syrian-garrisoned Bekaa Valley.

The Lebanese Government frequently has condemned terrorist acts and has
repeatedly called for the release of foreign hostages but has been unable
to rein in terrorists.

One bright spot over the past year was the winding down of the hostage
problem in Lebanon. Iranian-backed elements of Hizballah freed six
American and three British hostages and returned the remains of U.S.
hostages Col. William Higgins and William Buckley at the end of 1991
following a UN-orchestrated process involving frequent contact with Iran,
Syria, the Lebanese Shia, Israel, and others. In return, many Lebanese
held by Israel and the SLA were freed, but several hundred remain in
captivity. Israel received through the UN conclusive information from
Hizballah that two of its six missing soldiers were dead. The remains of
another Israeli soldier killed in fighting in Lebanon in the mid-1980s were
returned by the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP).

At the end of 1991, two German relief workers who are also held by Hizballah
-- Heinrich Struebig and Thomas Kemptner -- remained in captivity; their
release has been linked to freedom for two Lebanese terrorists jailed in
Germany. There had also not yet been a full accounting of all those held
hostage who may have died while in captivity.

Saudi Arabia
The defining event concerning terrorism in Saudi Arabia in 1991 was
Operation Desert Storm and its aftermath. Throughout the Desert
Shield/Desert Storm period, Saudi Arabia shared information on possible
terrorist acts with other governments and made every effort to assist the
international community in countering and preventing terrorism. The Saudi
Government expelled Iraqi diplomats and attaches and closed its borders
with Jordan and Yemen, countries it viewed as aligned with Iraq. It also
tightened visa requirements for foreign workers from countries opposing the
international coalition. Many foreign workers were expelled from Saudi
Arabia, and others were transferred or fired from sensitive government
positions. Saudi Arabia also employed additional security measures on
Saudia Airline flights.

Despite the huge U.S. military presence in Saudi Arabia, there was only one
act of terrorism directed against U.S. forces. On 3 February 1991, two
U.S. airmen and a Saudi guard were wounded in an attack on a military bus
in Jeddah. Four Palestinians (one a naturalized Saudi) and two Yemenis
were arrested. The incident is still under investigation, and the four
Palestinians remain in custody.

The Saudi Government is still closely following the investigation of the
February 1990 killing of three Saudi diplomats in Bangkok, Thailand. The
Thai Government has publicly blamed a non-Thai terrorist no longer in
Thailand.

Thanks to the intensive but largely unobtrusive security precautions taken
by Saudi security forces, the annual Mecca pilgrimage (hajj) passed without
incident.

Saudi Arabia has repeatedly spoken out and voted against terrorist acts in
international fora. It has raised terrorism issues in bilateral discussion
with governments it considers to be state sponsors of terrorism. Saudi
Arabia decries acts of terrorism allegedly committed in the name of the
Palestinian cause; it considers this cause to be a legitimate movement of
national liberation and resistance to military occupation. Saudi Arabia
suspended financial and political support for the PLO in late 1990 because
of that group's strong pro-Iraqi stance but then reportedly resumed
transfer to the PLO of revenue from a tax on Palestinians working in the
kingdom in late 1991.

Yemen
The Republic of Yemen (ROY) is committed to cutting all ties to terrorist
groups. A few groups, however, continue to maintain a presence in ROY
territory, typically with the assistance of ROY officials who were previous
officials of the former People's Democratic Republic of Yemen (PDRY). The
PDRY was on the U.S. Government's list of state sponsors of terrorism until
its unification with the Yemen Arab Republic (YAR) to form the ROY in 1990.

The ROY is reportedly narrowing criteria and tightening procedures for
issuing passports to non-Yemenis, including Palestinians, and has denied
press reports that international terrorist Carlos was granted refuge in
Yemen.

During the past year several incidents of international terrorism occurred
in Yemeni territory, especially during the Persian Gulf war when Yemen was
a strong supporter of Iraq. In January, during the Gulf crisis, the
embassies of the U.S., Turkey, and Japan were attacked by unknown persons.
The ROY condemned these attacks and increased protection of citizens and
property of coalition member countries. In October unknown persons
attacked the German and U.S. Embassies in what was probably part of a wave
of attacks that also included ROY government targets.

International Organizations
United Nations
The United Nations was involved in two successful efforts concerning
terrorism in 1991. The General Assembly adopted Resolution 451 on 9
December 1991 that unanimously reaffirmed the commitment of all nations to
work together to counter terrorism.

Former United Nations Secretary General Javier Perez de Cuellar and his
special representative Giandomenico Picco were instrumental in securing the
release of all the remaining American and British hostages during 1991 and
the return of the remains of two Americans -- Col. William "Rich" Higgins
and William Buckley -- who died while in captivity. Colonel Higgins, it
must be noted, was kidnapped and murdered while serving with a UN
peacekeeping group in South Lebanon.

On 13 September 1991, in Lebanon near the Israeli border, a United Nations
peacekeeping soldier was killed and five other soldiers were wounded after
being taken hostage during a botched terrorist raid on Israel by
Palestinians. The death and injuries occurred as negotiations were in
progress to free the hostages. Israeli military units became involved.
The United Nations protested to the Palestine Liberation Organization and
to the Israeli Government about this incident.

International Civil Aviation Organization
A Diplomatic Conference on Air Law was held under ICAO's auspices in
Montreal from 12 February to 1 March 1991, at which the United States and
40 other nations joined together to sign in Montreal an international
convention on The Marking of Plastic Explosives for Detection. The signing
of this convention capped a two-year effort in the aftermath of the bombing
of Pan Am Flight 103 to develop an international convention requiring the
introduction of certain marking chemicals into plastic explosives at the
time of manufacture in order to improve their preblast detection by various
existing technologies.

Advice and consent by the U.S. Senate to this convention will be sought in
1993, following the completion of certain required technical studies that
are currently under way. The technical assessments will help ensure that
the marking chemicals required by the convention do not have any adverse
effects on the safety and health of those involved in the manufacture or
use of marked plastic explosives, that the shelf life of marked explosives
is sufficient for purposes of the convention, and that the properties and
performance of the explosives are not adversely affected by the
introduction of the required marking agents.

Edward Tracy, United States, writer 21 October 1986 West Beirut
Revolutionary Justice Organization Released 11 August

Terry Waite, United Kingdom, Church of England, envoy 20 January 1987 West
Beirut No claim Released 18 November

Alann Steen, United States, BUC, educator 24 January 1987 West Beirut
Oppressed of the Earth and Islamic Jihad for the Liberation of Palestine
Released 3 December

Jesse Turner, United States, BUC, educator 24 January 1987 West Beirut As
above Released 22 October

William Richard Higgins, United States, Col. Marine Corps 17 February 1988
Near Tyre Islamic Revolutionary Brigades and Organization of the Oppressed
on Earth Remains recovered 22 December and flown to United States for
burial at Quantico National Cemetery

Heinrich Struebig, Germany, relief worker 16 May 1989 Lebanon No claim
Still held

Thomas Kemptner, Germany, relief worker 16 May 1989 Lebanon No claim
Still held

Jack Mann, United Kingdom, retired 6 October 1989 Sidon Uncertain
Released 24 September